Ménerbes
by TrivialQueen
Summary: I love you, but I’ve got to love myself more. This is a short story composed of three snippets Fall, Sound, Distance I’ve written previously with a hit of Jimmy Buffett’s Distantly in Love. Dedicated to Morralls, rated for slight language.
1. Fall

Ménerbes

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**Disclaimer:** I neither own nor am associated with Leverage – the Show or the Physics applications. The song _Distantly in Love_ is property of the king of the Parrotheads, Jimmy Buffett.

**Summary:** I love you, but I've got to love myself more. This is a short story composed of three snippets (Fall, Sound, Distance) I've written previously with a hit of Jimmy Buffett's Distantly in Love.

This is dedicated to Morralls, who suggested the idea as well as blackmailed me into writing it. So here it is, now where's more of the Renshaw Job?!?!

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Chapter One: Fall

They stood in silence on the tarmac. Italian oxfords on concrete the last sound to face into lament. Sophie stood, sounds of silence pressing in on her already crowded senses. What was she doing? She dared not turn around and see the team, this question had to be answered with her head, not her heart. Logic had been so easy, once upon a time, it had made her the grifter she was. Goal, plan, success. No emotions. And then Nate.

Of all the theatres in all the world he walked into hers that autumn night. Walked in and offered to play her game. And she began to fall.

But he's a drunk, a closed off drunk. She knew he cared for her, she could see it in the moments before the Scotch dulled his eyes and senses.

He shut them out, self destructing before their eyes. She wanted to love him, help him – save him. But he wouldn't let her. After all they shared these last few months she was still just a criminal.

And that made her persona non grata to his heart. A single tear worked its way past her defenses. It was never going to work. She could try but he would never work.

Anger soon replaced sorrow. It wasn't her bloody fault – it was him! She'd done everything in whatever it was between them. She'd given more than a mile; she'd given 5661 – the distance between here and her Paris, here and her freedom.

_Fuck it_. She decided, resolute, head taking over her life, heart certainly hadn't gotten her anywhere.

She turned. Nate was giving her that smile. Her heart turned inside out but her head stayed strong. He thought he had her.

_Fuck you, emotionally unavailable guy._ Her mind screamed.

_I love you_ her heart whimpered, but her head knew,_ You've got to love yourself more._

Sophie was last to turn but she did eventually, returning to her spot in the circle abandoned moments before. Nate smiled at her; he'd known she'd return. Sophie Devereaux was the stubbornest pushover he knew.

"Are you in?" He asked. Sophie licked her lips slowly.

"No."


	2. Sound

Ménerbes

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I neither own nor am associated with Leverage – the Show or the Physics applications. The song _Distantly in Love_ is property of the king of the Parrotheads, Jimmy Buffett.

**Summary:** When a Good Bye was really a Good Bye.

* * *

Chapter Two: Sound

"No." It hung in the air for a moment uncomprehended the by the others thieves.

"What?!" Eliot exclaimed, Hardison and Parker joining. Nate didn't, he knew, and the knowledge shot him through the heart.

"I can't," Sophie said, "I love you all but I can't do this. I need time."

"How much time?" Nate asked using the same question Sophie him asked months ago.

_They stood so close they all but touched, she looking up at him, he looking down at her, street light looking down at them both. Maybe it was because they'd just watched Casablanca or perhaps it was the setting, or it was just the manifestation of all that sexual tension but their lips met. For a moment bliss ruled, he'd wanted this for so long – her hand in his hair, his tongue in her mouth. But happy didn't last long. Sam, Maggie, Scarlet Queen, White Knight… the past flooded him. He couldn't go on._

"_Sophie – stop." He broke away._

"_Wh-what?" he could she the confusion in her eyes, the hurt._

"_I need time."_

"_How much time?"_

"I don't know." His words, the memory, back to haunt him.

No matter the accent she was always the same. It and she had this eternal quality. Her voice brought out something in him. It's quality, warmth. Even during a con. It's a little stronger, a higher energy – making her more attractive. Lord help him, but it did. She was already gorgeous. But this voice, her voice, put him over the top. Drove him wild. And masochist that he was he learned every nuance.

"About" came out British no matter what.

He could tell she was lying, tell when she meant it.

When a Good Bye was really a Good Bye.


	3. Distance

Ménerbes

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I neither own nor am associated with Leverage – the Show or the Physics applications. The song _Distantly in Love_ is property of the king of the Parrotheads, Jimmy Buffett.

**Summary:** He was not unique, just distantly in love.

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Chapter Three: Distance

**San Remo, Three Months Later**

Nate sipped his scotch, taking stock of what was to be. Writing her a letter that she'd probably never see.

_Sophie,_

_I can't help but be ruled by inconsistencies._

He'd tried phoning her from Paris, thinking things could be arranged. It was three months since she got on that little pack of gum plane and left. Left him.

In Paris he and her could rendezvous.

But he'd found her number changed.

_I can't help but be part of my own philosophy._

He toasted their picture on his shelf. She was long gone. He drank bitterly.

He was not unique, just distantly in love.

Nate fell asleep, drunk and alone; the letter abandoned, half finished.

_Sophie, _

_I can't help but be ruled by inconsistencies. I can't help but be part of my own philosophy. I am ruled by my antiquities. I can't be the one to fill your times and all your places. I can't be the one to fill your blanks and empty spaces…_

He'd drunken himself to sleep, tears in his eyes - just another time in many nights. She deserved someone better; someone who could give her what he couldn't.

_Timber Bay, waves were lovely dancers swaying to an island lullaby. Nate walked along the beach, shoes – not drink, in hand. Payphones all were ringing as the crowd went roaring by._

"_Nate! Nate, man, good to see you." It was Eliot. _Eliot.

"_How have you been?" the men shook hands._

"_Fine, fine, on the rodeo circuit." Eliot said, he had the belt buckle to show for it. "Yourself?"_

"_Great, great." Nate lied. Eliot paused._

"_You seen the others?" he asked._

"_Not since the David job, I know Hardison's at a comicon in Vegas."_

"_Which means Sin City is getting robbed blind by one crazy blonde." The men smiled. It faded._

"_Have you seen Sophie?" Nate asked. The younger man balanced. Nate's heart sank._

"_How is she?"_

"_She's very happy."_

"_She's met someone, hasn't she?" Eliot nodded. "That could be the reason I never got in touch. May present slight problems…" _if he loves her half as much_._

Nate woke with a start, a 'NO!' on his lips. His empty scotch glass fell to the floor, shattering. It was a dream. Just a dream.

He scrambled out of his chair, bare feet attached by glass and liquor, but he didn't care, he needed the dream to stay a nightmare. He picked up his phone.


	4. Ménerbes

Ménerbes

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I neither own nor am associated with Leverage – the Show or the Physics applications. The song _Distantly in Love_ is property of the king of the Parrotheads, Jimmy Buffett.

**Summary:** Is this your man, Sophie?

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Chapter Four: Ménerbes

"Do you have _any_ idea what time it is here?" Hardison was not happy, Nate looked at his watch. It was noon his time, Italy was nine hours ahead of Vegas…

"It's three in the fucking morning Nate!" Ford chuckled in spite of himself. "Normal people sleep at three in the morning."

"Sorry."

"No you're not." Hardison moved on the other end, someone, sounding eerily like Parker, was asking a question in the back ground.

"It's Nate." Hardison hissed,

"Oh." the Parker like voice said.

"Hardison, I need to find Sophie."

**Ménerbes, Province**

Nate checked the paper again, and then looked at the farmhouse for a third time. This was it. Hardison had even sent directions to his phone, there was no question – this was the place – Sophie's new home.

The house was huge, but old covered in ivy, the rock wall around it crumbling. He walked cautiously through the gate. Chickens ignored him as he walked through the courtyard to the door, amazed by his surroundings. Two bicycles were propped against the house fitted with market baskets. There was a garden, an outdoor oven, giant stone table. He knocked on the ancient wood door.

"Sophie!" Margarite called "There's someone at your kitchen door." She peeked through the window. "Ooo, _c'est un homme_! I thought you didn't have a man." Sophie entered the kitchen, smoothing her skirt.

"I don't, it's probably someone from the village."

"It most certainly is not, I would know." Margarite was a plucky woman, still beautiful at age sixty, her long sliver hair back in a thick braid. Sophie has wound up in province by fate and stayed there. She'd fallen in love with this place, irony and all. She adored Paris but Ménerbes was as close to home as she ever had felt. Margarite was like the mother she never had and the friend one always needs. Sophie opened the door and nearly fainted.

Nate.

Nate – she thought she'd only ever see him again when she closed her eyes. But he was there. On her door step. Looking as handsome as ever. She'd never stopped loving him. For a moment they just stared at each other, Margarite staring at them both.

"_Est-ceci votre homme, Sophie_?" Nate stepped over the threshold and took Sophie in his arms.

"_Oui, je suis son homme_." He said before Sophie could get words passed her shock slack jaw. Margarite laughed.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed before excusing herself, leaving Sophie to her man.

Nate turned to the woman in his arms.

"Time's up Sophie."

* * *

_c'est un home: It's a man__ !_

_Est-ceci votre homme, Sophie : Is this your man, Sophie ?_

_Oui, je suis son homme__ : Yes, I'm her man._

_All French was done with an online translator so Lord knows what it's really saying._


	5. Explanation

**Explanation: **This fic is spawned from the snippets Fall, Sound, and Distance, three one hundred word drabbles totally unrelated – until I posted them and Morralls said that they would make a great story. I thought about it and when 'Okay'. Fall was inspired originally by the blog Kung Fu Monkey (I think it's Dean Devin's) when he was describing Nate and Sophie's arcs, the line "Fuck you Emotionally Unavailable Guy' is his. Sound is just a general musing on Sophie's voice. Distance comes from the Jimmy Buffett song Distantly in Love, which like all of his music I adore. The song also served as a guide as I wrote this longer piece. So credit where credit is due some of this is Jimmy Buffett's fault. Ménerbes is the part of France Peter Myer lived when he wrote A Year in Province a great book and excellent mini series with John Thaw.

Thank you for reading! Please review.


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